A Disney blooded, crafty, fun-lovin' wife/mom/organizer/planner, etc who is obsessed with all things Disney 🙂 Maria grew up with the Magic Kingdom and has loved watching WDW evolve into what it is today. A firm believer in the Power of Pixie Dust, she is the owner of The Disney Driven Life - A Community for Neurotic Disney People & a d.i.y. crafty blog, Carousel of Projects - create~inspire~share.

SEE “BEARS,” PROTECT OUR NATIONAL PARKS

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

Disney Announces Additional Commitment to the National Park Foundation to Help More Than 100,000 Youth Experience National Parks Coast to Coast

BURBANK, Calif. (April 30, 2014) – Thanks to support from moviegoers nationwide, Disneynature and the National Park Foundation (NPF) are celebrating the results of their conservation initiative tied to the new movie “Bears,” which is in theaters now. SEE “BEARS,” PROTECT OUR NATIONAL PARKS committed a portion of ticket sales during opening week (April 18-24, 2014) to the NPF, and as a result of fans’ enthusiasm, Disneynature, through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, is supporting NPF programs across the National Park System, which will:

Benefit parks that cover 2.9 million acres of our nation’s most treasured land.

Restore or conduct research on more than 400,000 acres of national park service land.

Study and protect at least 75 species of animals and plants—many of which are endangered or threatened.

Provide internships to more than 60 high school and college students to conduct authentic, place-based field research.

Educate thousands of school groups, teachers, families and other park visitors on the importance of wildlife protection and habitat restoration.

Support landscapes that range from the long-leaf pine forests of South Carolina to the slickrock country of the Colorado Plateau to the beaches of Hawaii.

In celebration of this achievement and to further build on the impact, Disney announced an additional commitment to help young people experience national parks coast to coast, getting America’s youth active and outdoors. “Disneynature’s ‘Bears’ highlights one of the many wonderful natural places in our own backyard, and Disney is honored to work with the National Park Foundation to help protect important wildlife habitat and educate our nation’s youth about these essential sites,” said Alan Bergman, president, The Walt Disney Studios. “We are proud of the impact the movie will have thanks to those who supported ‘Bears’ during opening week, and we are thrilled to expand our commitment to conservation through an additional donation specifically earmarked to help more than 100,000 children experience America’s national parks firsthand, many of them for the first time.”

“Disney has repeatedly demonstrated its incredible commitment to preserving and protecting America’s national parks while simultaneously engaging our country’s youth in these special places,” said Neil Mulholland, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “We are excited to expand our collaboration and dramatically increase the critical impact potential thanks to Disney’s generous contributions.”

The Disneynature conservation efforts surrounding “Bears” attracted support from within Disney and beyond.

Young fans unlocked an exclusive bear costume on Disney Club Penguin to support the National Park Foundation: www.ClubPenguin.com

The Disney Music Group is contributing a portion of each iTunes download of Olivia Holt’s Friends for Change anthem “Carry On”:iTunes.com/CarryOn.

The Disney Store committed a portion of “Bears” plush purchases to the National Park Foundation: www.disneystore.com.

At Disney Parks, a special Duffy the Disney Bear benefited the National Park Foundation in April.

Disney Cruise Line made a contribution in celebration of the movie, which also premiered on the high seas.

Regal Entertainment Group introduced a gift card program in conjunction with “Bears” that resulted in a contribution to the National Park Foundation:www.regmovies.com.

DODOcase introduced a limited-edition collection of iPad Air, iPad Mini and iPhone 5/5S cases featuring a custom “Bears”design: a portion of each sale went directly to the National Park Foundation: www.DODOcase.com.

New York jewelry designer Alex Woo designed eco-friendly pendants inspired by the film, available in Sterling Silver & 14kt Gold—a portion of each sale benefits the National Park Foundation: www.alexwoo.com.

For more information about the National Park Foundation, its programs and work with Disney, please visit www.nationalparks.org.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

In an epic story of breathtaking scale, Disneynature’s upcoming True Life Adventure “Bears” showcases a year in the life of a bear family as two impressionable young cubs are taught life’s most important lessons. Set against a majestic Alaskan backdrop teeming with life, their journey begins as winter comes to an end and the bears emerge from hibernation to face the bitter cold. The world outside is exciting—but risky—as the cubs’ playful descent down the mountain carries with it a looming threat of avalanches. As the season changes from spring to summer, the brown bears must work hard to find food—ultimately feasting at a plentiful salmon run—while staying safe from rival male bears and predators, including an ever-present wolf pack. “Bears” captures the fast-moving action and suspense of life in one of the planet’s last great wildernesses—Alaska! Directed by Alastair Fothergill (“Earth,” “African Cats” and “Chimpanzee”) and Keith Scholey (“African Cats”), “Bears” is in theaters now.

ABOUT DISNEYNATURE

Disneynature was launched in April 2008. Its mission is to bring the world’s top nature filmmakers together to share a wide variety of wildlife stories on the big screen in order to engage, inspire and educate theatrical audiences everywhere. Walt Disney was a pioneer in wildlife filmmaking, producing 13 True-Life Adventure motion pictures between 1948 and 1960, which earned eight Academy Awards®. The first four Disneynature films, “Earth,” “Oceans,” “African Cats” and “Chimpanzee,” are four of the top five highest overall grossing feature-length nature films to date, with “Chimpanzee” garnering a record-breaking opening weekend for the genre. Disney’s commitment to conservation is a key pillar of the label and Disneynature films empower the audience to help make a difference. Through donations tied to opening-week attendance for all four films, Disneynature, through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, has planted three million trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, established 40,000 acres of marine protected area in The Bahamas, protected 65,000 acres of savanna in Kenya, protected nearly 130,000 acres of wild chimpanzee habitat, educated 60,000 school children about chimpanzee conservation and cared for chimpanzees. For more information about Disneynature, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/Disneynature and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/Disneynature.

ABOUT DISNEY WORLDWIDE CONSERVATION FUND (DWCF)

The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund works to save species and habitats and to connect kids to nature to help develop lifelong conservation values. To date, DWCF has granted more than $25 million to support conservation programs in 112 countries. DWCF is a Disney initiative to conserve nature for future generations and is not a US 501(c)(3) public charity. More information about DWCF’s efforts for wildlife, wild places and the people linked to their survival, is available at www.disney.com/conservation.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.

Maria H. (ndm#130)

A Disney blooded, crafty, fun-lovin' wife/mom/organizer/planner, etc who is obsessed with all things Disney :) Maria grew up with the Magic Kingdom and has loved watching WDW evolve into what it is today. A firm believer in the Power of Pixie Dust, she is the owner of The Disney Driven Life - A Community for Neurotic Disney People & a d.i.y. crafty blog, Carousel of Projects - create~inspire~share.